The President-elect acknowledges that lowering food costs, a key part of his 2024 campaign, will be challenging

President-elect Donald Trump, who campaigned heavily on reducing grocery prices, now admits that fulfilling this promise may prove more difficult than he anticipated. In an interview with Time magazine, Trump acknowledged that bringing down the soaring food bills would be “very hard,” especially after they have already risen sharply under the Biden administration.

Trump’s pledge to lower grocery costs was a major talking point during his successful 2024 campaign, where he repeatedly referenced the rising prices of staples like eggs, bacon, and apples. He argued that tackling inflation, particularly food prices, would be a priority if elected for another term.

However, when asked if his presidency would be seen as a failure if he couldn’t deliver on this promise, Trump downplayed the idea, pointing to the actions of the Biden-Harris administration. “I don’t think so. Look, they got them up… It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up,” he said.

While Trump remains optimistic about lowering prices through energy production and supply chain improvements, he recognized that reversing the trend would be challenging. “I think a better supply chain is going to bring them down. You know, the supply chain is still broken,” he added.

Despite the current inflation rate cooling to 2.7% in November, some food prices remain high, including eggs, which spiked due to an avian flu outbreak. Trump has suggested that increasing domestic energy production and resolving supply chain issues would help reduce prices, but has also proposed imposing tariffs on countries like China, Mexico, and Canada—strategies that have raised concerns among economists about potential negative effects on consumers.

Trump’s comments come after exit polls indicated that discontent with the economy played a major role in his election victory, with many voters citing grocery prices as a key concern. While some food costs have decreased, the issue of affordability remains central to Trump’s economic plans.